National summary

The New Zealand Transport Strategy has five objectives:

• assisting economic development
• assisting safety and personal security
• improving access and personal mobility
• protecting and promoting public health
• ensuring environmental sustainability.

Under the Land Transport Management Act, Land Transport NZ must be satisfied that the National Land Transport programme contributes to these objectives.

In delivering the government’s transport policies and priorities, the NLTP must draw a careful balance between national land transport priorities and those at a regional and local level, and ensure that each transport mode is supported in a way that ensures development of an integrated system that is responsive to community needs and circumstances.

Proposals submitted by approved organisations for inclusion in the NLTP must also contribute to the objectives of achieving an integrated, safe, responsive and sustainable land transport system. The proposals are assessed and prioritised for inclusion in the NLTP.

The 2008/09 NLTP has 12 Activity classes:

• Maintenance of local roads
• Renewal of local roads
• Maintenance of state highways
• Renewal of state highways
• Improvement of local roads
• Improvement of state highways
• Regional development
• Use of the land transport system
• Passenger transport
• Administration
• Research, education and training
• Road policing

Activities within these activity classes can be funded through the NLTP.  The Road Policing activity is funded directly from the National Land Transport Fund¹.

Land Transport NZ provides funding to the following organisations:

• Territorial authorities (comprising city and district councils) and unitary authorities, to jointly fund maintenance, renewal and improvement of local roads, passenger transport infrastructure and to implement initiatives that improve the operation of current transport networks and services by addressing transport demand, user behaviour, and mode share through such activities as community focused programmes. Land Transport NZ provides average of 50 percent financial assistance for maintenance programmes and greater assistance for improvement projects, with rates and other local authority revenue providing the balance.

• Regional councils, unitary authorities and the Auckland Regional Transport Authority (ARTA) are funded for the provision of passenger transport services, transport demand management, and activities to transfer freight from road to rail and to coastal shipping. Land Transport NZ’s level of financial assistance for these activities can vary.
• Territorial authorities in Northland and Tairawhiti to fund regional development roading. Land Transport NZ fully funds this activity.
• The Department of Conservation and the Waitangi Trust, to fund some roads under their control; for example, access to the West Coast glaciers.
• Transit New Zealand (Transit), to fund New Zealand’s state highway system including the maintenance, renewal and improvement of state highways, promotion of walking and cycling, and passenger transport-related state highway projects. This is generally 100 percent funded by Land Transport NZ, although local government, tolls and developer contributions may also contribute to a project’s funding.
• To individuals or organisations for research, education and training.

Land Transport NZ is required to adopt and publish an NLTP each year. Some activities are approved for funding at this time, while others are approved during the year. Not all planned activities proceed in the expected timeframe.

¹ The activity classes are described in Land Transport NZ's Programme and Funding Manual.

 

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Page updated: 30 June 2008